Читать книгу Walking Albuquerque. 30 Tours of the Duke City's Historic Neighborhoods, Ditch Trails, Urban Nature, and Public Art онлайн

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 Start at Plaza Don Luis, where you’ll find the Old Town Visitor Center. Pick up a few brochures and maps to enhance the walk ahead. If you start out with an odd sensation of walking on somebody’s grave, it’s probably because this small brick plaza was built upon Albuquerque’s first cemetery and the burials were supposedly left intact.Construction on the first church of Old Town began in 1706 nearby on the west side of the main plaza, but the structure wasn’t functional until 1718. It was originally named in honor of San Francisco Xavier but was renamed by decree of the Duke of Alburquerque to honor San Felipe, the patron saint of Spain’s new sovereign, King Felipe V. The order went neglected for many years. In 1776 Fray Francisco Domínguez inspected the church and found a painting of the local favorite saint over the main altar. Outraged, he demanded an image of San Felipe de Neri to be installed in its place. The name stuck from then on. Domínguez also expressed disappointment in the overall gloomy aspect of the church. There were no pews. The congregation sat on a dirt floor, women on the right side of the imaginary aisle, men on the left. It also lacked bell towers. A small arch held a pair of mismatched bells, both of them broken. He blamed the disorder on “lethargy and laziness.”In 1792 the alcalde mayor requested help from local residents to repair the distressed church, but the response was unenthusiastic. The structure continued to deteriorate until the following winter, when it completely collapsed. Rather than clear the rubble and rebuild on the original site, construction of the present San Felipe de Neri Church began on the north side of the plaza. The Folk Gothic spires were added in response to French Bishop (later Archbishop) Lamy’s 1851 reformation of New Mexico missions. The church remains active today and stands as one of Albuquerque’s most stunning landmarks. It’s open to the public daily. Masses are held on Saturday and Sunday.